In Defense of the Christian Faith

If you haven't noticed, this blog has been on an extended hiatus.... I don't know how many of my readers are still here in this corner of the Internet, but I wanted to let you know that I am still here. Life has been a rollercoaster ride of the good, the bad, and... the busy. :) And while I do have some ideas for content for this blog,  the time to write it out has been challenging. But on to the point of this post.... we all like freebies, right? And if you're a bookworm like me, you LOVE free books!! I recently received a kindle fire and I've been searching for free books to upload to it. Some of  the books have been worthwhile, but I particularly love it when they are apologetics related. Below are three such books -- for free ( for a limited time; please be sure that the price is still listed as free before purchasing) ! Did the Resurrection Happen... Really?  by Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett The Coffee House Chronicles are short, easily devoured novella...

In honor of Veteran's Day, Chad Williams, a former Navy SEAL, is offering his book, SEAL of God  (ebook format),   FREE of charge on amazon ! You may remember that I did a review of this book a few months back. It is an excellent read, and I highly recommend that you go download yourself copy. You can read my full review of the book here . And if you want a taste of what the book is about, you can listen to this interview with Chad done by The Poached Egg .

When I first heard that October Baby was coming to theaters, I knew it was a movie that I had to see. But if you’re like me, and were unable to make it to the theater to see it, you will be happy to know that release date for the DVD is September 11. Recently, I finally had the chance to watch this highly anticipated film, and here are my thoughts… The story behind October Baby is loosely based on the true story of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen . It is the story of nineteen-year-old Hannah Lawson who finds out that her personal struggles and physical sickness are the result of being an abortion survivor. Here is the film’s synopsis: As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience. After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothin...

( Note: This giveaway is not CLOSED. Congrats to Ruth G. for winning! ) It's been four years since I started this blog. And while it has become more of a hobby than something that I keep up with regularly, I wanted to take a moment to mark off year four. This past year has been much more mild, since I haven't been postly regularly here; however, there have still been a few really neat highlights that I wanted to share with you all. Firstly, I am in the process of raising the level of reviews found here on the blog. Some of the highlights from last year include a review of the ebook True Reason , a book written in response to the secular Reason Rally which took place back in March. (You can view all posts on the Reason Rally -- which includes a guest post by Tom Gilson , a leader in the True Reason initiative -- here .) I also recently posted a review of the book Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian. You can view all reviews done on this blog to date on the...

From the Youtube Description: Based upon the Gold Medallion award-winning best-seller, The Case for Christ documents Lee Strobel's journey from atheism to faith through his two-year investigation of the Bible and the life of Jesus Christ. Strobel, the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, draws upon his investigative skills to examine the historical accuracy of the Gospels, the personal claims of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. Is there evidence to confirm that Jesus of Nazareth was, indeed, the son of God and the savior of the world? This remarkable film features interviews with 10 leading Biblical scholars from North America and England, cutting-edge apologetics, and a compelling original music score. You can watch the full version below... Enjoy! Hat Tip: The Poached Egg

Today is Black Friday, and while I don't like to brave the crowds, I like to browse online deals to see what deals I can find. Books are at the top of my list, and here is an interesting list of some of the nuggets I found: [Note: While the majority of these are apologetics-based books, some of them fit in the "general" category; I listed these because I found them to be interesting deals.] 1) Abortion by R.C. Sproul - $5.00: You can also view other deals on Sproul's books by clicking here . 2) Atheism Remix by Al Mohler - $5.00 (MONDAY ONLY)* 3) Spurgeon’s Sermons (5 volumes) - $29.99 4) Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life - $5.00 (MONDAY ONLY)* 5) The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer (5 volumes) - $49.99 6) The Consequences of Ideas audio/video download by R.C. Sproul - $5.00 7) The Apologetics Study Bible for Students is on sale for $15.63 8) Stand To Reason ministries is offering free shipping this weekend (through Monday) for all purch...

Today marks three years since I first began this blog! How time flies! I initially became interested in apologetics through a friend who began lending me books, most notably Josh McDowell's The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict (which my blog is giving away to one lucky winner; see bottom of post) and Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ; I became so interested that I eventually purchased my own copies of these books and many more. Then, in February 2008, I met an atheist and that is where the idea for a blog originated. After some thought,  I started this blog on August 23, 2008. Here are just a few of the highlights from the past year. At the beginning of this year, apologetics trainer and speaker Mikel Del Rosario did a guest post for the blog ; he tackled the question "Can people be good without God?" And in February, the I had the privilege of reviewing his Accessilble Apologetics curriculum , a curriculum that I highly recommend. I've also started to pu...

On August 23, 2008, the DCF blog was born; It's hard to believe that I started this blog three years ago ! I plan to write up a special post highlighting the past year soon; but for now, check out last year's highlights . And.... I have an exciting announcement: In honor of this special occasion, I am giving away FIVE apologetics books to five different winners! Here is what's up for grabs: 1) The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell 2) More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell 3) I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Frank Turek and Norman Geisler 4) Defending Your Faith: An Introduction To Apologetics by R.C. Sproul 5) Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions By Greg Koukl Here is how you can enter Mandatory entry : Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect for one (1) entry . If you do not have a Google account then please subscribe for email updates (see side bar). If you ...

This week, I have a lot of information for those of you who are thinking about attending an apologetics conference. Here are this week's apologetics finds : 1) The 2011 Online Apologetics Conference is happening April 7-9 ! The theme this year is, "Defending Christianity and God’s Plan for Marriage, Family, and Life through Creative Arts such as Film and Literature." The keynote Speaker will be Dr. Gene Edward Veith Jr. Other Confirmed Speakers include  Mikel Del Rosario , Dr. Holly Ordway , and  Brian Auten  among others. If you are planning on attending, be sure to register soon, because early registrants pay half-price! 2) A debate will be taking place in North Carolina between Christian philosopher and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig and eminent atheist physicist Dr. Lawrence Krauss on the topic: Is There Evidence for God? The debate, which begins 6 pm, March 30th (end time, 9pm), can be viewed live via Internet webcast here .  (Anyt...

Tyndale publishers has just launched a Book Club Hub enewsletter and to celebrate they are giving away two different books every day for 30 days ! Up for grabs today only  is Abby Johnson's book, Unplanned . Click here to enter the contest , and be sure to keep checking the contest page to see what other books you could win over the next month! (And for the record, you can enter for a chance to win both featured books if you so choose! And you can enter daily, too!) Have fun!

If you're like me, you devour apologetics material (or, at least you look for material that will bolster your faith). Every week, I find a small collection of apologetics material -- be it articles, audio/podcasts, downloads, etc. -- that I would like to start sharing with my readers in hopes that it will provide you with information to "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). So here are this week's picks: Apologetics: Does God Exist? - featuring a number of articles on the subject including some articles and videos by Dr. William Lane Craig Greg Koukl Offers Eight Tips on Witnessing 9 Points for Preaching on the Problem of Evil by Norman Geisler (You can also read an excerpt from his book "If God, Why Evil?" here .) And lastly, I wanted to share a little frugal tip with all you bookworms out there: When looking to purchase a book, never underestimate your local bargain ou...

This Christmas, there are many wonderful opportunities for us as the Body of Christ to help our Brothers And Sisters In Chains (B.A.S.I.C)! First and formost, you can PRAY always. So many of our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering. One such person is Asia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman who was imprisoned for sharing her faith with some Muslims. Think of what you would do if you were in her shoes; don't turn a blind eye to this situation. She has a family (whom, I have just learned, are now in hiding); she has a life to live like the rest of us. Now, more than ever, she needs our prayers. The latest developements on her case can be found here . And there are many more Christians like her who need our prayers and support; go here to learn more. Since we live in freedom, and have the privilege to serve God, we have no excuse to not stand up for others who cannot stand up for themselves! "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them--those who are mistrea...

Hey everybody! I have some apologetics new for y'all. Brian from Apologetics315 has a free e-book consisting of 23 essays on why Christianity is true. I encourage you to go download it! Also, I just discovered a new site called " Debate God " via Twitter. This is one of my favorite topics of discussion, so I was thrilled to see that they have a blog, forums, and much more for discussing whether or not you believe in God. I personally love to engage in such topics, because it's such a great opportunity to examine yourself -- why do you believe what you do? -- and also to learn about others beliefs and, hopefully, show them the soundness of Christianity. And thirdly, a group of top Christian apologists have recently launched a new website, the Library of Historical Apologetics , whose goal is to "be the world’s leading resource for lay apologists, pastors, students, and scholars seeking historical apologetics materials for self-study, church classes, sermon prepar...

Recently, on my twitter page , I mentioned that I was going to get a free book about a Chinese woman who spent 20 years in a labor camp for her faith in Christ. Well, look what finally arrived... and it also comes with a free magazine, courtesy of Christian Aid! Those of you that know me well know that I LOVE reading these books; they give one such a perspective on life. Could we honestly endure 20 years in a labor camp? It's very sobering, but it challenges my faith to "go deeper." It inspires me to be all that I can be for God! Review coming soon, so stay tuned! And hey, why not grab your free copy ? :D Meanwhile, I can't wait to curl up in bed with my book and read away! ;)

I am SO excited! Josh McDowell and son, Sean, are putting the finishing touches on a new book called "The Unshakeable Truth: How You Can Experience the 12 Essential of a Relevant Faith." The book, set to release June 1st, tackles "what Christians believe, why they believe it, how it is relevant to life, and how they can pass it on to the next generation," and "presents apologetics relationally, focusing on how right believing affects not only believers but also the people they encounter. The authors help readers… [1] understand God’s grand plan of creation, incarnation, and re-creation. [2] discover the 12 “truth statements” of Scripture and why they are credible and critical to living out the Christian faith. [3] experience the authenticity of faith through practical examples and real-life stories that demonstrate how relevant the gospel is to life." To see a preview, click here . Also, Pastor Tullian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbeterian Church in Fort...

Okay, so I promised Rebecca that I would post about archeaology... sooo, for now, I have a bunch of free e-books to tell you all about! Biblical Archeology Review has free e-books!!!!! The one that caught my attention was " Israel: An Archeaological Review ." The book is described as follows: "illuminates this most sacred of destinations using recent archaeological research. As the point where three of the world’s major religions converge, Israel’s history is one of the richest and most complex in the world. This free collection of articles, written by scholars who have first-hand knowledge of their subjects, sifts through the archaeology and history of this ancient land, and presents a view of these Biblically-significant sites through an archaeologist’s lens." But that is not all -- BAR is offering a whole slew of other free e-books, such as " Easter: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus ," " The Burial of Jesus ," and " The Dead Sea Sc...

I just found out the other day that you can pick up a complimentary copy of Voice of the Martyrs ' book "Tortured for Christ." This is the story of founder Richard Wurmbrand who spent 14 years in prison in Communist Romania simply for being a Christian. He wrote the book to make Christians in the West aware of what their brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing for their dedication to Christ. As you know, I have a huge heart for the persecuted all over the world; they are laying down their lives for Christ daily, and they do it unashamedly. So if you're like me, and you just devour every book on the topic that you can get your hands on, why not get your free copy today? All you have to do is refer one or more friends, and provide your mailing address and you're on your way! And after you do that, here is a little teaser ... It was 1945. A pastor and his wife sat listening as one religious leader after another come forward to swear loyalty to th...

Apologetics 315 is offering you the chance to WIN one of a small handful of apologetics books! Just take this short survey, and you will be entered into the drawing! And while you're there, take some time to browse around the blog; it contains some excellent and informative information.